Radiator



April 25, 1933.

N. S. DIAMANT RADIATOR Filed Oct. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a INVENTOR N/CHOLAS 6, D/A/l IANT ATTORNEY April 25, 1933.

N. s. DIAVMANT 1,905,447

RADIATOR Filed octfs, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR N/CHOLACS 0S. D/AMA/VT ATTORNEY hes-a .9

UNITED sm-res "PATENT m neurons, a. museum, or nmorr, lncmeau' mm'r'oa I 7 Application ma mm- 8, iaaa. lerlal No. sense.

This invention relates to improvements in cellular radiator construction for motor vehicles and the like and more particularly to a radiator construction in which the liquid passages are separated by spacer plates forming one group of cells bounded by the spaces and another group of cells bounded on one side by liquid passages and bounded 0 onthe opposite side by the spacers.

spacer bound cells.

The aim of modern radiator construction is toward securing the maximum transfer of heat with the use of a minimum amount of "material, that is to say, that on a certain engine adefinite amount of cooling is required.

Brass, solder and copper, from which radia-- tors are commonly made, are among the most costly of the metals generally used in radiator manufacture. If a radiatoris designed which will effectively accomplish this cooling which is two or three pounds or even one pound lighter in weight than radiators heretofore required, then a very substantial adsecond mentioned class as spacer bound cells.

In order to accomplish the advancement in the art relierred to above, it is necessary to secure such a turbulent flow of liquid and such a turbulent flow of air as will yield the maximum cooling for a given amount of space exposed to the liquid and to the air. But the securing of a turbulent flow of air becomes an extremely difiicult matter because of the inherent unbalance which exists between liquid spacer bound cells and Therefore, an important object of the" invention is to make the two groups of air cells, spacer bound and liquid spacer bound cells, thermally balanced, as will be fully explained later.

It is highly desirable for appearance sake to have the outer face of the radiator present openings or air passages of substantially uni-,

form-size so as to give a pleasing and symmetrical appearance tothe finished radiator. When this is done in the ordinary construction, the interior passageways of liquid 'spacerbound cells geometrical area to that of the spacer boufid cells by reason of the fact that the walls-of the liquid spacer bound cells are bulged inwardly to provide the liquid passageways.

will not have an equal a Thus, a second inherent unbalanced condition arises, which necessitates the provision of some means to aero-dynamically balance the air flow of the cells. It is, therefore, a further object of my invention to balance the unequal cells by projecting the body portions of the spacer plates so as to compensate for their A while presenting a substantially symmetrical appearance at the front of the core.

geometrical unbalance just referred to- A still further object of my invention is to I provide a multiplicity of re-entrant channels or grooves in the plates from the liquid passages so that a truss action is obtained in the assembling of the core. This is of utmost importance in view of the fact that the cores are made of long zig-zag ribbons of about five-thousandths of an inch in thick-" ness. 'The truss action referred to gives the assembled structures a mechanical strength, particularly transversely, which is very-desirable. Further, these grooves. assist in securing a more uniform and eflicient transfer of heat from the liquid passage plates to the spacing plates disposed in the air channels between the liquid passages by increasin the contacting surfaces between spacer an liquid plates and by offering a more positive contact-than can be obtained by means of one flat surface bearing upon another flat surface.

The two spacer plates between the liquid passages and the two opposite side plates of the adjacent liquid passages are preferably made from a continuous strip of sheet metal having an overall length of slightly more than twice the height of the core so that each single strip may be folded transversely at its center to have the two sections of the folded strip connected at one end of the strip. The spacer sections of the one strip are received between the sections of the other strip and all four sections constituting the-two ieces are assembled as a unit. A plurality 0 such units are then assembled to form a radiator core.

Other objects and advanta tion will be more a parent rom ing description an tion with the accompanying which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a radiator core parts being broken away and sections of the core shown in-the processof assembling.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the core shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of core as ther enlargement.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view, artly in section, illustratin anextreme esign in which the spacer ound cells have a much snialler area than the liquid spacer bound ce ls.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the other extreme in which the s acer bound cells are larger in area than the liquid spacer bound cells.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the liquid passage plates, one plate being broken away and in section.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the spacer plates.

Referring to the drawings wherein I have illustrated one ada tation of my invention and particularly to ig. 1, the radiator comprises generally an upper liquid tank 10, lower tank 12 and an inter osed core structure which is made in accor ance with my invention. The core structure has a multiplicity of liquid passages 16, better shown in Figs. 2 and 3, extending between and communicating with the upper and lower tanks. Spacer plates 18 are interposed between adjacent water passages.

Each spacer plate and each of the inventhe followdrawings, in

the

plate forming the opposite sides of the adjacent water passages is formed from a strip of metal approximately twice the height of the core and of a width corresponding to the thickness of the radiator core. A zig zag spacer plate 18 is folded back upon itself adjacent its center to form two spacer sections closed at the upper end, as at 26. A zig zag plate 22 is also ormed sl ightly longer than twice the heightof the core and it is folded ad'acent its center with a straight portion 24 olded in such a manner that the apex of each folded portion comes directly opposite the apex of the folded portion on the spacer plates. The folded strip 18 is received in the folded strip 22 and these two strips form a single unit consisting of a pair of spacer ribbons and claims taken in connec sages. shown in Fig. 2, but showing a fur the opposite walls of the ad'acent water passa Inassembling a r iator core a plura ity of such units are secured together, such as by dipping into a molten vat of solder. The one side of each unit forms one side of the liquid passe e and the op ite side of the unit forms t e opposite .si e of another adjacent liquid passage.

Considering one section of the liquid passage strip 22, the sheetmetal is formed zig zag with ts outer longitudinal edge 26, Fig. 6 effect inwardly and secured together to ciosethe front and rear faces of the spaced walls of the liquid passage Between the joined marginal edge portions 26 are intermediate panels which are outwardly ofiset portions 26 and of the liquid pas- Every other crown of the zig zag strip, preferably the lower crowns of the stri 22, as shown in Fig. 6, are provided wit re-entrant grooves or channels 28, terminating just inside the ofiset edges, which. provide the water channels. The complementary stri which makes up the other wall of the liqui passage is also provided with, re-cntrant grooves, as shown at 30, Fig. 6, at the other crownsof the zigzag liquid passages. These re-entrant grooves receive the crowns of zig zag s acer plates.

The crowns o t e zig zag spacer plates adjacent the water passage plates are received in the re-entrant grooves 28 and 30. The adjacent crowns of the spacer plates are alternatively provided with re-entrant grooves 32 so that at one oint the crown of the spacer plate is receiv other plate and the adjacent innercrown of the second mentioned plate is received in a groove of the first mentioned plate. By this arrangement the durability and the transverse mechanical strength of the core has been secured, because of the positive interlocking at the apex of each cell. Thus, in spite of the very thin material commonly used in the manufacture of the ribbons, the complete core structure is extremely strong; it will withstand constant shock, vibration and wearing and it can be bent throu h degree angle before breaking. It will more immune to leaks or cracks in the liquid passa es than conventional core structures which ack this positive interlocking and self-tightening feature. Further, the stresses and strains are inherently distributed uniformly throughout the core structure, which is obviously extremelydesirable.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the re-entrant grooves reduce the area of the liquid bound cells 34. The spacer bound cells 36 have no re-entrant grooves and are conwith respect to the ed which form theside wafi:

sequently larger in area than the liquid inequality: in their areas lay-reason of the li uid 's g il loove 82 which-extends into the cell 34.

eae further inherent; inequalities in the metrical areas of the cells, in addition toat ose mentioned above, produce anecessaryuality in the'amount of air flow between r bound cells and spacer bound ce ls an a small degree of in uality in air flow-between each pair of ad acent liquid,

1 bound cells. It is obvious that a smaller amount of air will flow through the liquid which the ciency a substantiallyequal amount of air should flow through each cell. Further, have discovered that mere substantial equalities in air flow in each cell is not suflicient, but the turbulence of air in each cell should be substantially equal. Therefore, It is an object of this invention. to secure what I have termed an aero-dynamically balanced condition under which-theuamount'of air.

flow as well as the amount of turbulence will besubstantially equal in each cell and if necessary to favor the liquid bound cell. Consider, for example, a substantlally straight and unobstructed passageway, from front to rear, of a given cross'sectional area,

air assin throu h this passageway will contfct wit the sid walls around the peripheral portion of the air stream, but the central part or, core of this air stream will travel through the passageway without contactin with the side walls. Therefore, only a portion of the air stream is effective. In order to get the greatest efliclency from a given sized air stream, it is necessary to cause the air stream to have a turbulent flow 1n each cell, which will cause substantially all of the air passing through each cell to come in contact with the side walls .of the cells and attain optimum turbulence in each cell.

The turbulence in one cell should not be se-.

cured at the expense or the lack of turbulence in another cell. 4

The general aim of my present con struction is to create a turbulence in the diil'erent air streams in such a manner that the eilective heat transfer capacity of each cell in a radiator will be equalized, thereby producmg what I have termed herein an aero-dynamically balanced radiator, as well as a thermally balanced core, the total effective result of which is greaterthan has been hereto fore attained.

To produce a thermal balance and to make the cells aero-dynamically balanced, I have provided depressions 40 in the plates 22pxtending into the cells 38. These depressions reduce the area of the cells 38 aswell as increase the turbulent flow of air and liquid through the core. If it is desired to have further, means for producing turbulence the cells 34 and liquid passsgeweyasmaller depressions 42 may beformed in thetplates' 22 extending into the cells 34 having e reentrant grooves. These depressions may be closed, as shown. I formed in thefsp'acer lates 18 extending into the cells 38 and 36 to Further balance the cells 38 with respect to the cells 36 and secure the desired amount of turbulence.

One of the main factors'contribut' to what I have. termed aero dynamically qi anced construction are ofis'e'ts in the spacer toward the spacer bound cells and the pro- VlSlOll of suitably sized and positioned protuberanoes or projections which will first balance unequal geometrical areas and" then produce the desired amount of turbulence in the air stream.

In Fig. 3 the sides of the spacer bound cells 36 have been oflset or depressed inwardly between their edges so as to form intermediate panels which extend into the spacer bound cells in order to equalize the areas of the spacer bound cells 36 with those of the liquid bound cells 34 and 38. Further, to balance the liquid bound cells 34 and 38 the protuberances or lprojections 42 in cells 34 are made smaller t an the indentations 40in the cells 38. Further, by means of the indentations or pro ect1ons 40, 42, 44 and 44', the liquid bound cells34 and 38 and the spacer bound cells 36 are thermally and aero-dynamically balanced. Further, the projections 40 and 42 produce a turbulent flow in the liquid pas- Depressions 44 and 44 are I equal to the included angles B between the zi zag sides of the water ribbons.

eferring to Figs. 4 and 5, wherein I have diagrammatically shown exaggerated conditions of the extreme formations, and more particularly to Fig. 4, the angles C are considerably smaller than the angles D. Thus, the inside geometrical area of the liquid bound cells is somewhat larger than the inside area of the spacer bound cells. Therefore, in this case no offsets or depressions are necessary in the spacer. This construction gives nearly balanced cells and, therefore, a suitable number of projections,

suitabl positioned and sized can easily be ma e to produce the necessary amount of turbulence to complete the inherent aero-dynamical and thermal balance. The

construction/disclosed in Fig. 4, although somewhat non-uniform and unsymmetrical in appearance, is fairly pleasing since the larger liquid bound cells do appear smaller on account of their thick liquid passages. This construction has the further advanta e in thatit afiords inherently a very simple exlsts,

and convenient means for reducing the number of liquid passagesby reducing the height of the cell, but increasing the a'vera e width of cell while keeping the total sur ace constant, or increasing it slightly for a given frontal area; further, it wi 1 be apparent that by reducing the number of liquid passages the weight of the core can be reduced materially while the heat transfer capacity can be maintained by increasing slightly the total amount of heat transfer surface, as already noted. This feature of reducing the weight while keeping the heat transfer capacityconstant is not, of course, an inherent but not an exclusive feature of the construction shown in Fig.4, since obviously as a matter of deliberate design it can be incorporated in the other forms by reducing the height of their cells, but increasing the width of the same said cells.

It will be noted that, as compared with Fig. 4, in Fig. 5 the other extreme condition in which the spacer bound cells 54 are larger than the li uid bound cells 52, due to the fact that the included angle E is obtuse or larger than the an le D. This construction has the further a vantage of larger water flow than that shown in Fig. 4 and consequently freedom from plugging with sedimentary solid materials suspended in the system. Further, though more difficult to secure an aero-dynamic and thermal balance, according to my invention, when properly balanced it will be lighter and, therefore, more efiicient than that shown in Fig. 4, because the amount of material required to form a given length of water course unit is less than the amount of material required to form a water course unit of equal length, but of the form shown in Fig. 4. Further, it is apparent that due to the acute angles C, as compared with the obtuse angles E, the ribbon material of the liquid passages of Fig.5 will be stretched less than the ribbon material of the liquid passages of Fig. 4. Finally, though the size and shape of the cells in Fig. 5 is slightly unsymmetrical when properly designed and manufactured, it can be made nearly as pleasing in appearance as if the cells were geometrically symmetrical and perfectly equal in size and shape; this is accomplished with comparative case on account of the small size of the cells and the extremely large number found in a given frontal area.

It will be understood that a radiator core may be thermally and aero-dynamically balanced by the suitable provision of protuberances, such as shown in Fig. 3, or it may be balanced by the angle of the water course, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

It will be understood that various changes, including the size, shape and arrangement of parts, ma be made without departmg from the spirit of my invention. The number of depressions may be varied in the cells to increase or decrease the turbulence of the unequal cells as-well as their sizes varied. It is not my intention to' limit the scope of this invention other than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a core, spaced pairs of corrugatedplates forming liquid passages and having adjacent joined edge portions at the front and rear of the core, the intermediate port ons of each pair of plates being offset with respect to said edge portions, and a pair of corrugated spacer plates forming with each other a series of vertically aligned airpassages through said core and forming a pair of vertically aligned air passages with the adjacent plates of said liquid passages, the edge portions of said spacer plates being so located with respect to the joined edge portions of the plates of said liquid passages so as to form substantially geometrically identical cells on the front and rear sides of said core and the intermediate portions of said spacer plates being offset inwardly towards each other between their edge portions and sufliciently to substantially balance the volumes of the air passages between said spacer plates with the volumes of the air passages between each spacer plate and the adjacent plates of said liquid passages.

2. In a radiator core, a pair of corrugated plates having joined edge portions and offset medial portions forming a liquid passage, a pair of corrugated spacer plates having alternate corners abutting each other and the remaining corners of one plate abuttin the alternate corners of the adjacent plate said passage, so as to form separated air passages between the spacer plates and between one plate of said liquid passage and one of said spacer plates, the edges of said spacer plates forming with the joined edges of the plates of said water passage a plurality of geometrically identical cells at the front and rear sides of said core, and depressed panels in the intermediate portions of said spacer plates extending from the front to the rear marginal edge portions thereof increasing the volume of the air passages adjacent the liquid passage and decreasing the volume of I extending substantially from one edge poror creating a turbulence in said cells substantiallyequal in efiect to the turbulence created in the cells between adjacent plates of said liquid passages and said spacer plates by the ofi'set intermediate portions of the plates of said liquid passages.

In a core, spaced pairs of corrugated plates forming liquid passages and havin adjacent joined edge portions at the front and rear of the core, the intermediate portions of each pair of plates being ofi'set with respect to said edge portions, and a pair of corrugated spacer plates forming with each other a series of vertically aligned air passages through said core and forming a pair of series of vertically with the adjacent plates of said liquid passages, the edge portions of said spacer plates belng so located with respect to the joined edge portions of the platespf said liquid passages as to form su stantially geometrically identical cells on the front and rear sides of said core, the intermediate portions of said spacer plates being ofl'set inwardly towards each other sufiiciently to substantially balance the volumes of the air passages between said spacer plates with the volumes of the air passages between each spacer plate and the adjacent plates'of said liquid passages, and closed depressions in said spacer pates' extending into the passages therebetween for balancing the turbulation of air in all of the said passages. I

5. In a radiator core, spaced pairs of corrugated plates having joined edge portions and offset medial portions forming a liquid passage, a pair of spacer plates forming between each other a series of air passages and forming other series of air passages with the plates of said water passages, substantially the entire intermediate portions of said spacer plates being ofi'set into the air passages between the latter plates and rendering the projected thickness of the spacer plates greater than the actual thickness thereof.

6. In a radiator, a core having spaced corrugated liquid passages each including a pair of corrugated plates having joined marginal edge portions nd outwardly ofiset interme- 1 diate panels, and corrugated spacing plates between the passages forming air cells between each o-the: and between each spacing plate and the plates of the adjacent liquid passages, said spacing plates having ofl'set panels extending between their marginal edge portions and extending into the air cells between said spacing plates substantially as far as the intermediate panels of the platesof said liquid passages extend into the air cells adjacent thereto to compensate inthc cells between said spacing plates for the volume displaced in the other cells by the interaligned air passages forming aligned pairs of mediate panels of the plates of said liquid passages.

7. In a cellular radiator core having liquid passages including joined plates having protruding side portions, a pair of corrugated spacing means between the passages extending from front to rear of the core and forming with each other a multiplicity of vertically aligned air passages through the core and g forming with the liquid passages pairs of horizontally aligned air passages through the core, said spacer plates having their entire intermediate portion between the front and rear marginal edges thereof ofiset into the cells between said spacer plates.

8. In a radiator core including spaced corrugated liquid passages and corrugated spacing means between the passages together spacer bound air cells and transversely aligned pairs of liquid bound air cells, inwardly extending corner portions forming grooves at some of the crowns of each of the spacing means to receive the apexes of the crowns of the other spacing means, said corner portions being extended into one cell of each pair of liquid bound cells, and substantially closed depressed portions in said liquid passages extending into the other cell of each pair of liquid bound cells at the corner thereof corresponding in location .to the position the inwardly extending corner portion occupies in the adjacent liquid bound cell for creating'a turbulence substantially equivalent to the turbulence produced by said inwardly ex tending corner portions.

NICHOLAS DIAMANT. 

